Area Coordinator Job at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the Second World War, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. We had three years to complete our work and then disband. Today, over 65 years later, our organization is still hard at work, protecting and assisting refugees around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Area Coordinator
Position Number: 2019/VA/039
Job Location: Makurdi-Benue 
Category: Field
Grade: GS - 7
Duration of Contract: One Year
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Context, Duties and Responsibilities

• The Area Coordinator position will be under direct supervision of the Head of Field Office, Adikpo. The incumbent is responsible for the overall running of the Makurdi field office with the assistance of the administrative/programme Associate.
• The incumbent’s major responsibilities cover strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation, partnership building and donor liaison and other administrative functions as delegated by the representation and the office of the head of field, Adikpo.

Responsibility:

• Analyses the emergency, socio-economic and political situation and trends in the Middle Belt of Nigeria and identifies possible threats and opportunities for conflict mitigation.
• Ensures identification and promotion of joint programming and planning opportunities
• Supports capacity building of state and national counterparts.
• Oversees project implementation through close monitoring of results. Ensures effective application of RBM tools, management of scorecard targets and other benchmarks.
• Coordinates and follows through on decentralized local evaluations.
• Manages the consolidation of programme implementation in the project framework and guided by the needs of effective implementation of the nexus between humanitarian, development and peace-building interventions.
• Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.
• Ensures smooth running of the Field-Office, builds an effective Field-Office team, and promotes team work and an environment that is conducive to delivering results.     
• Ensures full responsibility for the appropriate use and management of resources attributed to the Field-Office by tracking use of financial resources, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the Internal Control Framework and/or rules and regulations.
• Oversees the effective efficient and compliant management of all operational processes including financial transactions, procurement & logistics, and administrative services.
• Ensures enforcement of security procedures and MOSS/MORSS requirements in the Field-Office.
• Mitigates possible risks and impacts associated with the Field-Office operations (e.g. logistical and security)
• Responsible for the management of the Field-Office staff, monitors their performance, completing performance assessments where necessary.
• Ensures timely and regular reporting.
• Ensures full compliance with audit requirements and timely follow-up to audit recommendations.
• Represents the United Nations when delegated, in relevant cluster coordination meetings and development partners at the local level.
• Ensures proper coordination and inputs to interagency initiatives at the local level.
• Ensures internal communication and coordination at Field-Office level and effective and proactive communication between relevant UN Agencies and the Field-Office.
• Monitors the perception of UN Agencies at the local level and suggests media activities that positions UN Agencies more strategically and effectively as neutral brokers for local development.
• Enhances local visibility for UN Agencies in development effectiveness.
• Ensures that local development results are effectively communicated in collaboration with Communication Office in the Country Office.
• Contributes to the development of the United Nations Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) strategy, including planning tools to implement the strategy.
• Identifies new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the Field-Office level through innovative approaches to partnership development.
• Encourages ways of increasing Field-Office funding base such as engaging in resource mobilization efforts in consultation with local counterparts and following-up with donors on local opportunities.

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of Secondary education courses/ training/ certificate in Law, Political Sciences, Social Science or related field.
• Minimum 6 years of previous job experience relevant to the function.
• Field Experience.
• Computer skills (in MS office).
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:

• Completion of the UNHCR Learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.
• Knowledge of refugee law.
• Good knowledge of UNHCR's programmes.
• UNHCR Protection Learning Programme.
• UNHCR Operations Management Learning Programme.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages.